){kind=link}
President Bola Tinubu has declared that he would gladly receive Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), into the All Progressives Congress (APC) whenever he decides to join the party officially.
Tinubu made the remark on during the official opening of the Arterial Road N16 and other infrastructure projects in the Katampe District of Abuja.
While addressing the crowd, the President applauded Wike’s impact on public service and jokingly referenced the popular chant from Wike’s former campaigns.
“We have somebody, Nyesom Wike, he is not a member of my party (APC), not yet. But the day he changes his mind and registers with the progressives, we will welcome him.
“Because we will enjoy singing ‘as e dey pain dem, e dey sweet us,’” Tinubu quipped.
His comment drew laughter from the audience, including from Wike himself, signaling the continued political rapport between the two.
Despite being a prominent member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wike publicly supported Tinubu during the 2023 general election and accepted a ministerial post in his administration.
His move to serve in the APC-led cabinet has stirred intense debate within PDP ranks, intensifying internal divisions.
Wike’s political stance has increasingly leaned toward Tinubu since he lost the PDP’s presidential ticket in 2022 and declined to back the party’s nominee, Atiku Abubakar.
Reaffirming his support, Wike recently declared, “I am a key asset. I will lead President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State.”
This loyalty has attracted both praise and criticism, with senior PDP figures like Bode George and Dele Momodu expressing disapproval.
In another political development, Wike on Monday advocated for the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket to be zoned to the South.
Representing the “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP” after a consultation, he called for inclusiveness and fairness.
He also emphasized party procedures, insisting that only Senator Sam Anyanwu, the National Secretary, is constitutionally recognized to issue official notices for PDP’s national meetings.